SME products need halal certification to penetrate Middle Eastern market
KOTA KINABALU: Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Raymond Tan Shu Kiah wants Sabah Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) products to be Halal certified so it can break into the Middle Eastern market.
Raymond, who is also Industrial Development Minister, said the Malaysian Millennium Entrepreneurs Consortium's (MMEC) success in penetrating into the Kuwait market had opened a gateway into the Middle East.
"I think it can be the entry gateway into the Middle East halal market. The most important thing is that products manufactured by SME Sabah must be in compliance with international quality and standards as well as have the Halal certification," said the Deputy Chief Minister, whose speech was delivered by Industrial Development and Research Department (DIDR) director Patrick Tan Su Teck.
"My ministry along with the government agencies at various levels is always involved in the guidance and advancement of entrepreneurs and their manufactured products.
"This is among the breakthrough or success upon success that can assist the entrepreneurs in facing economic challenges in this era without borders," he added at the MMEC Export Depot launch and 'Beyond Nation - Time to Export' Briefing in Sabah ceremony here on Saturday.
Raymond said 20 selected entrepreneurs with 23 products under the supervision of the ministry took part in the Malaysia Festival Exhibition 2017 at Expo Hall, Changi in Singapore.
"Through aggressive promotion from FAMA (Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority) and Agrobazaar Malaysia Singapore (ABMS), my ministry had targeted RM2 million worth of products to be realised into exported form," he revealed.
MMEC, established in February 2017 in Kuala Lumpur, commenced export activities in May 2017 through its phase one programme.
In June 2017, 150 variety of products worth RM350,000 from 57 SME companies were exported to Kuwait in the second phase of the programme.
In phase three of export, based on the Kuwait market demand, MMEC will export five tonnes of SME products worth more than RM2 million, involving five entrepreneurs from Sarawak with 1.2 tonnes products worth more than RM250,000.
For the fourth phase of export, MMEC estimates an export of another five tonnes worth of products, including from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah as well as Miri and Kuching, Sarawak.
"Several products from Sabah have already been identified by MMEC during the launch of the Export Depot Miri-Sarawak on July 30, 2017 to penetrate the international market," Raymond disclosed.
According to Raymond, Dewan Usahawan Bumiputera Negeri Sabah (DUBNS) president Datuk Abdullah Sibil had been instrumental in the effort to bring several Sabah entrepreneurs with 30 SME products to Miri last month.